Sing (Travis song)


"Sing" is the lead single from indie rock band Travis' third studio album, The Invisible Band. It was released in the United Kingdom on 28 May 2001 following an extensive five-week promotional campaign. The song became the band's highest-charting single in their home country, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart. "Sing" was a worldwide success as well, reaching the top 10 in New Zealand and several countries in Europe, including France, where it rose to number two. The song is noted for its prominent use of the banjo, a country music instrument then considered rare for mainstream pop.

Background

came up with the song as he watched a swingbeat video on MTV, leading him to write a basic melody called "Swing" about children in a swing set. As he performed with the rest of the band, he changed the song to "Sing", making the lyrics about the healing powers of singing.

Music video

The music video features the band visiting a large country house for dinner and getting into a massive food fight with the residents. The video premiered in on 20 April 2001, on Top of the Pops. When the single reached number three, the band were invited on to Top of the Pops, where they re-enacted the food fight for a live performance. This performance is sometimes used instead of the main video.

B-sides

The single's B-sides include a cover of Queen's "Killer Queen" with guest vocalist Jason Falkner, and guitarist Andy Dunlop's writing and vocal debut on "You Don't Know What I'm Like".

Track listing

All songs written by Fran Healy, except "Killer Queen" by Freddie Mercury, "Ring Out the Bell" by Dougie Payne and "You Don't Know What I'm Like" by Andy Dunlop.
UK CD1
  1. "Sing" – 3:48
  2. "Ring Out the Bell" – 3:44
  3. "Killer Queen" – 4:03
UK CD2
  1. "Sing" – 3:48
  2. "You Don't Know What I'm Like" – 4:11
  3. "Beautiful" – 3:45
7" vinyl / cassette single
  1. "Sing" – 3:48
  2. "Killer Queen" – 4:03
European single
  1. "Sing" – 3:48
  2. "Ring Out the Bell" – 3:44

    Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications